Welcome to Kira Smith’sworld – a whimsical place filled with frills and lace, performance and poetry. At 17, she’s already an accomplished dancer and an aspiring designer with an impressive portfolio of sketches. And though she may sometimes be mistaken for her identical twin, Kate, there’s no mistaking her one-of-a-kind Nike Dunk Sky High.

Inspired by her love for Victorian fashion and a play fascination with Alice in Wonderland, Kira’s shoe struts its stuff with lace embossing, ribbon laces and a corset detail up the heel. The outsole features Kira’s hand-drawn graphics and a quote from a certain Cheshire Cat that reads, “We’re all mad here.”

For Kira, designing her own shoe was about as good as it gets. “It was so much fun,” she said. “I got to peek inside the design industry and see a glimpse of my future.”

Kira Smith’s Nike Dunk Sky High (photo by Paul Wegman)

Kira also got to share something much more personal: her experience with obsessive compulsive disorder. It’s an illness she shares with her sister and overcame with the help of the OHSU Doernbecher child and psychiatry team.

“It’s been an honor to represent patients with mental illness,” she said. “I’m so grateful for everything Doernbecher has done for us.”

“I may have had a nightmare of a past, but I can choose whether or not to use it to craft a better future for myself and those around me, which, fortunately, I have decided to do for myself and for the good of all who come after me, so that they may not follow in my footsteps.” – excerpt from Kira’s memoir.

Corset detailing on the back of Kira’s shoe (photo by Paul Wegman)

“Kira and Kate take great pride in their recovery and would like to help others feel hope in dealing with life’s serious challenges.” – Ajit Jetmalani, M.D., head, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.

The 2013 limited-edition Doernbecher Freestyle Collection includes apparel and footwear and will be sold at www.nike.com and at Nike retail locations across the country. All proceeds benefit OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.